Collapsible potjltry-crate



F. WALTHE R.

COLLAPSIBLE POULTRY CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY i4, I911.

. Patented May 13, 1919.

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F- WALTHER.

COLLAPSlBLE POULTRY CRATE.

APPLICATION F ILED MAYI4.19I7.

1,303,746. I Patented May13, 1919.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ormon.

FRED WALTHER, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

COLLAPSIBLE POULTRY-CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 13, 1919.

Application filed May 14, 1917. Serial no. 168,426.

' crate adapted to be expeditiously andeasily collapsed and as readilyset up ready for use as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, showing a crate constructed in accordancewith my invention as set up ready for use.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken in the plane indicated by the line2-2 of Fig. l, with the walls 5 omitted.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section showing the crate ascollapsed.

Fig. 4: is an end elevation showing the I crate opened or set up andready for use.

Fig. 5 is an intermediate cross-section of same, with the walls 5omitted.

6 is a cross-section showing the crate collapsed.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all ofthe views of the drawings.

The specific construction herein disclosed constitutes the bestpractical embodiment of my invention that I have as yet devised, and Iwould have it understood at this point that either wood or metal may beemployed to form the major portion of the crate.

Among other elements'the crate comprises a bottom wall 1, flanged asindicated by 2- adjacent to its side edges, and flanged as indicated by2 adjacent to its end edges; the flanges 2 extending the full width ofthe bottom wall and having their inner sides spacedfrom theends of theflanges 2 for an important purpose hereinafter set forth. The crate alsocomprises a top wall 3 having side flanges 4 corresponding to theflanges 2 andalso having end flanges 4* corresponding to the end flanges2* of the bottom wall.

and arranged'with their 1 inner sides spaced from the ends of the sideflanges 4.

Interposedbetween the bottom wall 1 and the top wall 3 are inwardlyfolding side walls which respectively comprise lower and upper sections5, h'inged'together at 6, to

permit of the inward folding, as shown in Fig. 3, and hingedattheirlower and upper edges to the inner sides of the side flanges 2 and 4 asshown. The said side walls correspond in length to the flanges 2 and 4,and hence their ends are spaced from the inner sides of the end flanges2 and A.

At 7 is provided a transverse partition which for the sake of lightnessis preferably of open-work construction as shown in Fig. 5. Thesaidpartition 7 is hinged at 8 to the bottom wall 1 and hence has thecapacity of being swung from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shownin Fig. 5 and vice Versa. 'Adj'acent-to its free edge the partition 7 isprovided with a suitable fastener 9, designed tobe manipulated by anattendant into and out of engagement with a keeper 9 on the underside ofthe top wall 3, the connection being effected when it is desired tomaintain the partition 7 in an upright position and the crate in an openstate,

and being interrupted when it is desired to swing the partition 7 intothe position shown in Fig. 3 preceding the collapsing of the crate. Forthe purpose of manipulating the fastener 9 from a point exterior of thecrate access may be gained to the fastener through any available openingin one of the crate walls and in any approved manner.

Arranged in vertical planes immediately inside the vertical planes ofthe flanges 2' and 4? are collapsible end walls made up of lazytongmembers 10, riveted together and to the flanges 2 and 4 in a pivotalmanner and adapted to be collapsed in closely arranged superimposedrelation, after the manner shown in Figs. 3 and 6 and also adapted to beextended as shown in Fig. 4. It will here be noted that the verticallycollapsible end walls are arranged in the same planes as the beforereferred to spaces between the inner sides of the end flanges 2 and 4and the ends of the side flanges 2 and 4:, and hence the said spaces aremade tc'receive and accommodate the lazytong members so that the cratemay be collapsed to such an extent that the flanges of the top wall willrest in superimposed relation on the flanges of the bottom wall, withthe folded side walls and the collapsed end walls within said flanges,and the crate as, a whole reduced to a very small compass, as shown inFig. 3. In the practical use of my novel crate, it

is secured in the open state shown in Figs.

tener 9 from the complementary keeper 9 onthe top wall 3, and swing thepartition 7 to the position shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the crate may bereduced to acollapsed state of small compass by pressing: downwardly onthe top wall 3 or by pressing the bottom and top walls 1 and 3 towardeach other, and in the collapsed state the crate may be convenientlyreturned to the point from which it was shipped with poultry or otherproduce. I

In addition to the practical advantages hereinbefore ascribed to mynovel crate, it will be appreciated that the crate is simple, cheap andso constructed that the flanges of the top and bottom walls meet whenthe crate is collapsed, with the, result that the side walls and the endwalls are adequately protected during return shipment, and at the sametime the crate is reduced to very small compass'i. e., about one thirdof the full size when the majorportion of ,the

crate is of wood, and about one fourth of the full size when the majorportion is of sheet-metal. Again the crate .is well adapted towithstandv the rough usage to which devices of corresponding characterare ordinarily subjected, and is further advantageous becauseit-involves nothing, in its construction that is calculated to detractfromits capacity when it is setup ready for use. I

I have entered into a detailed description of the construction andrelative arrangements of parts comprised in the present and preferredembodiment of my invention in order tov impart a full, clear and exactunderstanding of the same. I do not desire, however, to be understood asconfined myself to the said specific construction and relativearrangement of parts inasmuch as such changes in the form andarrangements of parts maybe made in the future practice of the inventionas are comprehended by the appended claims.

being formQ lQf lazytong Inemberspivotally connected together and to thebottdin and top walls. n

,2. A collapsible crate eqmprising bee tom andtop walls,,eac'h of saidwallshaving end flanges on its inner side extending throughout width andalso 1 having side flanges on its inner side and arranged with theirends spaced from the inner sides of the end flanges, and the flanges ofthe said walls being arranged to meet when the crate is collapsed,opposed side walls interposed between the bottomand top walls and eachmade up of sections hinged together and to inner sides of the sideflanges and corre sponding in length tosaid side flanges, and end wallsinterposed between the bottom and top walls and pivoted to the innersides of the end flanges and made up of lazytong members, pivotallyconnected together.

3.' A collapsible crate comprising bottom and top walls, each of saidwalls having end flanges on its inner side extending throughout itswidth and also having side flanges on its ,innerside and arranged withtheir ends spaced from the inner sides of the endflanges, and theflanges of thesaid walls'being arranged to meet when the crate iscollapsed, ,oppositeside walls interposed between the bottom and topwalls and each made up of sections hinged together and to the innersides of the side flanges and corresponding in length to said sideflanges, end walls interposed between the bottom and top Walls andpivoted to the inner sides of the end flanges and made up of lazytongmembers pivotally connected together, a partition hinged on the upperside of the bottom wall and adapted to be swung to and from an uprightposition, and cooperating means on said partition and the top wallfordetachablyconnecting the former in upright position to the latter.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

FRED WALTH'ER. Witnesses: a

H. C. SEERYF, W. A. COREY.

